September 19, 1997

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — OUR FAMOUS READERS: A newspaper’s front page is, by tradition, reserved for the most important and interesting stories, and we here at The Bee are proud of what we put on ours. Those of you with sharp eyes may already have noticed a change in our front page this week. Directly above this column we proclaim that The Newtown Bee is the hometown paper of Carmen Veccharelli. Who is she and why is so important to warrant this recognition? Carmen happens to be The Bee’s newest subscriber, and she is important because all our readers are important. … Our readers are as important and interesting to us as anything we put on our front page, and we wish we could recognize them all. Because thousands of people read The Bee, that is impossible. But it is impossible for us to recognize at least 52 readers a year, and from here on, we intend to do that — one reader every week. We will accept suggestions from the community … We are not looking just for celebrities, dignitaries, or people with famous or familiar names. …almost all the people we meet are celebrated by family or friends for some special quality or have distinguished themselves in ways that few people ever get to know about. These are precisely the kinds of achievements that deserve more fame than usually comes their way. In this small way, we will try to rectify that.

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Residents, business owners and representatives of several churches within the town’s new $34 million sewer district expressed concern over their proposed assessments at a public hearing last week. The Thursday hearing was called by the Water Pollution Control Authority to hear public comment on the proposed residential and non-residential sewer benefit assessments, which will go into effect this fall.

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Newtown High School Band Director Jack Zamary announced this week that he would step down from his position at the end of the semester. He will be taking the job of music director at Pomperaug High School in Southbury. The popular teacher, now in his sixth year at NHS, told band members Wednesday night following rehearsals. Mr Zamary is known to have put in long hours running one of the largest band programs in the state. Members of the Band Parents Association said they were shocked over the news, but wished Mr Zamary well. “I’m still in mourning,” said Joanne DiDonato, a band parent. Mr Zamary was unavailable for comment at press time.

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Police Commission members met with Police Chief James E. Lysaght Jr Tuesday night to discuss various complaints the Newtown Police Union has raised over how the chief runs the police department. Police Commission Chairman William Meyer said Wednesday the session “went very well” and was “very productive.” The meeting was closed to the public due to personnel issues.

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Newtown Hook and Ladder, Sandy Hook and Botsford firefighters responded to a report of a structure fire just after 4:30 pm Monday at The Mary Hawley Inn on Main Street, which is under renovation. Fire Marshal George Lockwood said vapors emanating from a foam-style insulation material being installed in a cellar crawl space were accidentally ignited by a workman who was smoking a cigarette on the floor above. The fire caused the basement to fill with smoke. It was ventilated. The fire caused minimal damage and no injuries, according to Mr Lockwood.

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The Fourth Annual Newtown Health & Safety Fair, a collaborative effort among local volunteer organizations, was held at the middle school last Saturday. Mae Schmidle, who co-chaired the event with Dr Della Schmid and Health District Director Mark A.R. Cooper, called the fair “a great success.” The four-hour event featured health screenings, demonstrations and displays, a visit by the LifeStar helicopter, a Newtown Ambulance crew, a Danbury Hospital paramedic, and firefighters from Hook & Ladder, Dodgingtown, Hawleyville and Sandy Hook.

September 22, 1972

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — UNWANTED: It is perfectly understandable that since the proposed race track in Newtown is strictly a business venture by those undertaking it, the officers of the Old Rock Road Corporation and the gentlemen seeking to build the track here should present their case in the strongest possible light. That they attempted to do at their press conference on Tuesday morning. While the presentation was quite elaborate and thorough, we felt that some areas of concern were neglected, others glossed over, and some of the figures, such as tax revenue to the town, daily attendance and estimated betting totals, were merely estimates and optimistic ones at that. … aside from taxes and money matters, we believe that the citizens of Newtown are not of a mind to lay themselves open to the sudden changes which the proposed race track would bring to the character of the town. Many of us have worked hard and long in building the sort of community in which we prefer to live, work, and bring up our families, and we think we are doing well at it. … A race track will bring 190 days of racing (including evenings and Saturdays) spread over six or seven months each year, quarters for 1,700 horses, parking for 7,800 cars and 75 buses, average daily attendance of 11,600 for thoroughbred racing and 6,300 for harness events, and an expected peak attendance of 15,000 on Saturdays. … If race tracks can be of as much benefit to a town as the Old Rock Race Corporation promises for Newtown, every town in the state should be clamoring for a track. Instead, they fight their hardest to keep them out. And that seems to be Newtown’s chore at the moment. … We have a fine birthright here, and we see no reason to sell it now, or at any time in the future, for a mess of pottage.

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On Saturday, September 16, members of the Newtown Jaycees spent a hard day cleaning out the old abandoned cemetery behind Solly’s restaurant on Route 202. Their work was made a bit easier thanks to the loan of some town equipment by First Selectman Frank DeLucia. Hopefully, now that the heavy work is done, the cemetery will be kept in fairly decent condition.

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Harold Burdick Jr of Riverside Road, Sandy Hook, won first place and a blue ribbon at Bethlehem Fair on September 9 with his exhibit of small scale models of the Danbury Fair Racearena stockcars. This was his first year to exhibit at a fair. Harold was nine years old on September 18.

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One person was killed and two injured as the result of an accident on Route 6 in Newtown on Sunday, September 17. Pronounced dead at the scene by Dr Philip Kotch was Elenore Landgraf, 65, of Wisconsin, a passenger in a car driven by her husband. According to the police reports, the Landgraf vehicle was traveling west on Route 6, made a left turn, and was struck by an eastbound car driven by a 19-year-old Newtown male. Mr and Mrs Lindgraf were pinned in the wreckage of their automobile. Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Department was called to the scene to assist in removing the victims from the vehicle. Mr Landgraf and the Newtown teen were taken to Danbury Hospital in the Newtown Ambulance for treatment. The accident is still under investigation by Officers Harry Noroian, Francis Bresson, and Kevin Flynn under the direction of Sgt David Lydem.

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The new teachers at Newtown High School this year are Miss Frema Mancher, guidance department; Jeff Taub, math and science; Mrs Marion Navetski, science; Russ Weiss, science; Miss Julia Kushigan, foreign languages; Kurt Ryder, industrial arts; Mrs Donna Fox, guidance; Robert Sleath, science; and Edward Sisko, business department.

September 19, 1947

A sold-out house and enthusiastic audience greeted Mario Di Cecco and the Newtown Orchestral Society last Thursday evening in Edmond Town Hall theater when the last of three summer concerts was presented. For one thing, it was a fortunate choice of program. It reflected the work that has gone into the summer-long rehearsals.

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St Rose church was the scene of a pretty wedding Saturday morning at 9 o’clock, when, in the presence of approximately three hundred relatives and friends, Miss Dorothy Marion Quinn, daughter of Mr and Mrs Hugh Quinn, became the bride of James Gordon Cavanaugh of Botsford district. Rev Walter R. Conroy, pastor, performed the marriage ceremony and celebrated the nuptial Mass which followed. The bride was given in marriage by her father. Immediately following the ceremony, the bridal party were guests of Rev Conroy at a wedding breakfast at St. Rose rectory. A reception for more than two hundred relatives followed at St. Rose Hall.

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Charlotte H. Isham, teaching principal at Sandy Hook school for several years, this fall began her new job as supervisor of instruction for the schools of Newtown, Southbury, Woodbury and Bethlehem. Miss Isham is a graduate of Danbury State Teachers College and has a Master’s degree from Yale. She has demonstrated leadership ability and an understanding of good teaching practices. She has been a Sunday school teacher, a Grange (Pomperaug) secretary, and a summer camp councilor — each for several years.

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The Newtown Branch of the Connecticut Children’s Aid wish to thank all the contributors to the 1947 drive for funds. The total amount received is $797.44. As there were no expenses connected with the drive, this total amount is being turned over to the Hartford headquarters where it will all be used for the placement of underprivileged children in foster homes about the state.

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On Monday afternoon Mr and Mrs Charles W. Botsford and sons, Charles and Ronald, of Palestine district, left with their trailer for Los Angeles, California, where they will spend the winter. En route, the Botsfords will visit relatives in Riveredge, N.J., Ithaca, N.Y., Springfield, O., and Michigan.

September 15, 1922

THE HAWLEY SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION ELECTS OFFICERS: At a meeting of the Athletic Association, Wednesday afternoon, the following officers were elected: President, Clark Ruffles; vice-president, Isabel Tiemann; secretary, Agatha Kennedy; treasurer, Wilbur Griscom.

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The registration September 11 in the high school was as follows: 7th grade, 17; 8th grade, 48; 9th grade, 26; 10th grade, 20; 11th grade, 17; 12th grade, 13; Post Graduate 1; Total 142.

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Mrs Charles Jennings and Mrs Charles Ferris gave a dog and corn roast in honor of Miss Louise Judson and Miss Margaret Minor of Woodbury and Mrs Elsie Ferris Johnson of Detroit, Mich., at Sugar street, Saturday evening. After the roast, dancing was enjoyed for a while. About 20 guests were present.

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Mrs Lillian J. Hitchcock has sold her property on Main street, Newtown Borough, to Mabel L. Jasenski of Bridgeport.

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Jacob Strisik, a highly respected resident of the Botsford Hill section, died on August 29, after a few days’ illness, aged 62 years. Surviving him are his wife and seven children: Phillet, Abraham, Samuel, Dorothy, Charles, Lillian and Robert. The funeral took place on August 31, Rev Mr Levy of Bridgeport officiating. The burial was in Brooklyn, N.Y.

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Martin Conger has taken over the management of the Sandy Hook market, and reports business looking up.

September 24, 1897

Last Saturday morning while Conductor Bristol’s train north was running at a pretty good rate of speed down the grade that extends from Hawleyville to the river the engine left the track just before reaching the crossing near Ambrose Taylor’s property, in Hanover, and after running for about a dozen rods on the ties, plowed into the ditch and toppled over on to the rails a wrecked machine. Just what happened to cause the wreck could not be learned. … The track was badly torn up where the engine went over. Engineer Munson was at the throttle and when he saw his iron horse was in the dirt he and his fireman jumped and saved their lives. No one was hurt. Had it not been for the guard rails on the bridge the engine would have been in the brook undoubtedly. A wrecking train was busy all of the rest of the day clearing up the wreck and mending the track. Passengers were transferred over the wreck so that traffic was not delayed much.

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S.S. Scudder furnished Butcher John H. Blackman with two good fat bovines, the first of the week.

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Mrs George Platt, her son A.N. Platt, with friends, enjoyed a carriage drive through Newtown, on Thursday of last week. Mr Platt lives in the Purchase in South Britain and grows some very delicious large peaches, a sample of which were much enjoyed at The Bee office. They were the finest peaches, both for looks and taste, that ever visited our sanctum and we doubt very much if better fruit grows.

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The annual picnic and clambake of the Taylor, Morris, Reynolds and Hubbell families took place Friday afternoon, on the banks of the Housatonic river. A very enjoyable time was had by all. The genial station agent, in honor of his birthday, received a beautiful golden specimen of the order Cucurbitaceæ, called Cucurbita pepo.

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The crowd who were present at the Newtown station on Saturday night were horrified for a few seconds at the sight of a man falling between the cars, as the train was rapidly leaving the station. It was the 6.50 p.m. train for New Haven. Mr Taylor came rushing on to the platform just as the train was pulling out. Rushing madly for the car steps he grasped the rail, but the gates being closed he swung between the cars. Mr Taylor is a heavy man, and he would have gone to the track had not a brakeman seized him and pulled him from his perilous position. The brakeman is a man of slight build and he certainly deserves credit for the manner in which he rescued Taylor.

Do you have photographs of people or places in town from a bygone era? The Way We Were is the perfect landing spot so that your photographs can be enjoyed by Newtown Bee readers. Images can be e-mailed as attachments to shannon@thebee.com, subject line: Way We Were photo. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date. If you live locally and would like to loan a photo/photos, please give us a call (203-426-3141) to let us know when you will be visiting.